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Moving from a linear to a circular economy requires a different approach to plastic usage, from production, consumption and reuse, to recycling and disposal. This new approach will require collaboration, knowledge and experience sharing, and creating partnerships with different sectors and organisations that, under different circumstances, might not normally have come together to act.
There is an urgent need to tackle the environmental problems associated with plastic waste, especially as 95% of plastic packaging is created for single use and packaging produced by our industry is on the rise globally. The United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that of the 8.3 billion tonnes of plastics produced since the 1950s, about 60 percent has ended up in a landfill or the natural environment. The 8-12 million tonnes of plastic litter that ends up in the ocean every year is one of the most visible and alarming signs of this problem. We need collaborative action, and the CGF is in a prime position to drive positive change on the plastic waste challenge and toward a circular economy, given:
The CGF is well-positioned to lead on plastic waste solutions, addressing:
With a common vision of a world where no plastic waste ends up in nature – land or sea – the CGF’s Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste and its 43 member companies are committed to engage in this important effort.
While plastic is a useful packaging material, its widespread presence in oceans and nature signals the need for change. Many packaging products are still difficult or impossible to recycle, contributing to plastic waste. In 2018, the CGF Board endorsed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy vision, committing to collaborative actions for greater circularity and eliminating plastic waste. Together with partners SYSTEMIQ and McKinsey, CGF developed a model to assess waste management options.
This work laid the foundation for the Plastic Waste Coalition of Action, launched in 2020 as part of the CGF’s strategy to drive impactful collaborations that benefit both people and the planet. Achieving a circular economy requires a shift in plastic use, focusing on collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships across sectors.
Today, the Coalition is focused on accelerating progress toward the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy. This ambition is reflected in its core objectives, which guide members’ efforts to:
To effectively address these priorities, we have established diverse working groups, each dedicated to driving progress on specific objectives.
We recognise that the plastic waste challenge will only be solved by global collaboration between companies, national and local governments, multinational organisations, the recycling industry and consumers. For each of our workstreams, we have partnered with key organisations who are also actively working towards finding solutions in these different areas.
We aim to bring unique value to the existing efforts against plastic waste through the CGF’s emphasis on retailer-manufacturer collaboration and action-oriented focus. We are continuing to look to partner with key organisations across different geographies to build on the work that is already being done, avoid duplication and support local work around the world accelerating progress towards a circular economy.
